Years ago, I was fully into gaming on my PC. I owned a PlayStation 2 and barely ever hit the power button to turn the thing on. I just did not see the value in console gaming and I was a PC gaming loyalist to the end. So I thought. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 launched with graphics that rivaled mid to upper range PCs and I figured it could not hurt to dabble in console gaming for a little while.

Fast forward a few years and my gaming PC was so weak that it could not even run Diablo 3 at higher than 10 frames per second. I realized I was out of the loop and I needed to get back in the game. The PC gaming world left me behind, and I needed to get back in the swing of things. I hit the Internet and bought a new PC. Nothing too crazy, but it runs almost everything at their max settings at 1080p.

So why did I feel the need to get back into PC gaming?

Graphical Supremacy

I will admit that graphics only draw me into a game, but they never keep me playing. Still, at this point in the life cycle of the consoles, the difference in graphical ability between a high-end PC and a console is staggering. A high-end first person shooter running a constant 50-60 frames-per-second on a PC looks absolutely incredible and current consoles are incapable of reproducing that experience.

As I said before, graphics are only a small part of the experience. However, I had forgotten how much a game with incredible visuals increases immersion into the world. A game that looks better makes you forget that you are playing a game. It makes you feel like you are a part of the world. After all, one of the reasons we play games is to be sucked into the world, and better visuals certainly enhance that feeling.

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The MMO Factor

I swore I would never go back to World of Warcraft, but here I sit, writing this article while taking a break from adventuring in the world of Azeroth. They have tried to make console MMOs, and none of them have been worth becoming invested in.

It all started with Diablo 3. I played so much Diablo 3 it makes me sad to think about it. Then, I wanted more. Diablo brings similar gameplay mechanics to most MMOs, but it lacks the “other people” part of the experience. Sure, you can play cooperatively, but it is really a single player game.

Diablo made me want a new PC; MMOs will keep me using it for some time. The fact is, the MMO is an experience only available to the PC gamer, and it was enough to bring me back to the dark side.

Steam

Steam is an incredible digital distribution platform. They practically have a stranglehold on the digital distribution of PC games, yet they constantly crank out fantastic deals like their recent summer sale. Not having to leave my house and still getting a good deal on games is something unique to the PC gamer, and it was something I was sorely missing on my consoles.

Sure, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo offer games digitally, but they are not usually the newest releases, and they are almost never a good deal. With Steam, you get convenience and value, which are two things that rarely go together.

HDMI Video Cards

My go-to argument for why I switched to console gaming was, “I can sit on the couch and play games on my TV.” Almost every decent video card comes with HDMI out, so you can still enjoy PC games from your giant TV, just as you would a console. I was thinking about MMOs, shooters with a mouse and keyboard and prettier graphics, and they most certainly piqued my interest, but hooking it up to my TV put me over the edge.

Hooking your computer up to your TV with HDMI is awesome for gaming. It is also great for consuming video content. Forget Steam, forget MMOs; playing PC games on my TV in full 1080p is the main reason I went back, and it is something anyway who has turned away from PC gaming should consider.

Conclusion

Do not take this article as an attack against console gaming; I assure you it is not. I still love my consoles, and I will continue to play games on them. I see no reason we cannot all be console gamers and PC gamers (provided it’s in your budget). I had completely turned away from PC gaming, and it feels good to be back. Maybe you should consider dipping your toe into PC gaming again if you have abandoned it.

If you have stopped playing PC games, what would bring you back? Let us know in the comments!

pc games nowadays are only as good as your broadband connection. unfortunetly mine , like a lot of other people, is pure rubbish!! I have no choice now but to give up purchasing and playing pc games until I can either afford satalitte connection or wait til BT improve my broadband. (I will wait forever if I wait for BT!!)

The current problem I have is as a Linux user, my choice in pc gaming is incredibly limited,good thing about pc gaming is "CLASSIC GAMING!" VIA MAME SEGA GENESIS SNES I purchased a PS3 to play Mortal Kombat

Controll is another - FPSs are undoubtedly better on pc - the mouse allows for smoother aiming - not the 8-axis clunkiness of controllers. You can always tell if you're watching an FPS filmed using a controller on youtube due to this.

RTS etc, too.

And then there's the Indie side of things. Have you played Minecraft on the PC? It's brilliant, but it's just not the same on a console (let alone the 'pocket' android version).

Terraria? First out on the PC.

FTL? Yet another among 100s and probably 1000s of indie games you can get for next to nothing on the PC

Having said all this, I'm going to be buying a PS3 in the next few weeks for a few reasons:-
* It's not convenient for me to use my main TV as my PC monitor. I could, but my other half might object.
* Red Dead Redemption. I love that game and it's not out on the PC! 3rd person action games is where consoles stand (almost) shoulder to shoulder with PCs.
* Bluray Playback - I *could* get a n-meter long HDMI cable for this, but having the PS3 under my tele with Move controllers etc is a less messy arrangement.
* Sony Move Technology - this is just something I fancy trying...I might even have already bought a 'Sharpshooter' gun for it to try with titles like Resistance, Killzone and others.

I'll always be a PC gamer, but I'll dip into the console from time to time, too.

Yes PC gaming is superior - but so it should be at the price difference. Like javae says, you can buy an xbox360 for 400 bucks and get 5+ years of gaming out of it, whereas a $1000 PC will last maybe 16 months max before having to spend another few hundred bucks on upgrading. The author of the article clearly has a god job as I can't afford a $1000 PC plus upgrades every 6 months! I would love a gaming rig, but a lot of us have to choose console or PC and console just makes more sense.

Well the PS3 id a good alternative but if you have the money for it (and dont forget the games). I think there has been an announcement that Steam is coming to Linux in some time. Great news for all! :D

"And for matching the specs of XBOX or PS3 for playing games on TV with PC needs serious money …"

That sounds like a statement many computer illiterate console fanboys will say. Or people not sure what graphics card ports will work on their tv from the pc itself; s-video; video graphics adapter; digital video interface-i (analog)/ digital video interface (digital) .

Why match the xbox or PS3 when those use precursor parts to make them when PC parts are in development every 6 months giving room to grow. To match the console it doesn't take "serious money".

"So for casual gamers who don’t bother much for Physx CUDA etc etc … they can go for PC"

I Agree,Console games are pretty good with games which do not have guns/snipers,i had a bad experience with Crysis 2 because of that,Your better off with pc for games especially which have snipers,but the question is are you ready to give up on the extra eye candy the console would provide you?that is if you dont have a good graphics card

the thing for me is money... if i get a gaming PC now that plays let's say MW3 in all it's glory on my 46" LED in full HD... it's very possible (and likely?) the same pc won't be able to do that in MW4 when it comes out... And then the fiddling begins... change graphics settings, details, ...
Or upgrade the PC, again spending a big chunk of money on it...

I've bought an X360 console 5y ago for $400, and while the graphics indeed won't match those of the current PC's, they're not exactly hideous to look at, keeping in mind that you're sitting in the couch at 12 feet away from the screen.

Back in my pc gaming days, even 1280x1024 wouldn't look good enough cuz you're sitting at 1-2 feet from the screen.

The are maxing out the graphic (read graphic card potencial),but they are forgeting all about the good old games that had actual interesting and fun gameplays. Old games and first fps (that Iv playes) is Blood,and many more strategy and fps "old" games.I have to admit,until today I will never forget the titles of those awesome games

It's a warsim made by a small czech gaming studio, apart from the brilliant vanilla game, it's very open en supportive to modders, it's like lego, you can build anything you want with it or just folow the instructions on the box and still get a great toy.

Yes, Steam sales are quite glorious. I like PC gaming because you have more control with keyboard and mouse, better graphics, and more games. Also, there are more mods for pc games. Mods can had a whole lot of additional content to RPG games like Oblivion, Skyrim, and Fallout 3. I don't really like the idea of gaming on a tv. Generally speaking, monitors look better than their HDTV counter parts. I wear glasses, so it something is 5 feet away, it loses detail, and I'd rather not wear glass while gaming. Also, my computer has never had the issues I hear a lot about such as soldered parts coming off. No need to try to fix a computer by wrapping it in a towel or putting pennies on as heatsinks.

I never exactly stopped, but I would like more classic tournament/area FPSes like Quake 3 and Unreal Tournament 2004. Also, I would like more RTS games too.

Now if more companies will follow Stardock's example. Seems any time I have had problems with my (legally purchased) games it has, at least in part, traced back to the onerous copy protections schemes in place.

DRM is one of the banes of PC gaming. Thankfully, a lot of companies just use Steam now which isn't too invasive in my opinion. Some outlets such as Good Old Games make it their policy to sell only 100% DRM free games which is nice too.

Sure, a keyboard and mouse work well for shooters like Call of Duty. But there are other shooters, such as the Touhou series, that are best played with a gamepad or joystick. Cooperative shmups really need two gamepads, and so few PC owners have that setup that major developers tend not to bother.